Editing Novosibirsk Oblast (section)

==Geography==

===Overview===
Novosibirsk Oblast is located in the south of the [[West Siberian Plain]], at the foothills of low [[Salair ridge]], between the [[Ob River|Ob]] and [[Irtysh River]]s. The oblast borders [[Omsk Oblast]] in the west, [[Kazakhstan]] ([[Pavlodar Province]]) in the southwest, [[Tomsk Oblast]] in the north, [[Kemerovo Oblast]] in the east, and [[Altai Krai]] in the south. The territory of the oblast extends for more than {{convert|600|km|sp=us}} from west to east, and for over {{convert|400|km|sp=us}} from north to south. The oblast is mainly plain; in the south the steppes prevail; in the north enormous tracts of woodland with great number of marshes prevail. There are many lakes, the largest ones located at the south. The majority of the rivers belong to the [[Ob River|Ob]] [[drainage basin|basin]], many of them falling in dead lakes. Among the main lakes are [[Lake Chany|Chany]], [[Lake Sartlan|Sartlan]], [[Tandovo]] and [[Lake Ubinskoye|Ubinskoye]].

===Natural resources===
As of 2007, the [[oil]] reserves of the region amounted to 204 million tons. In addition, Novosibirsk Oblast had free gas reserves of 600 million cubic meters, solute gas reserves of 5.2 billion cubic meters, and [[gas condensate]] reserves of 121,000 tons. Most of the oil and gas reserves are located in the [[Severny District|Severny]] and [[Kyshtovsky District|Kyshtovsky]] districts.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />

The following metals can be found in the region: [[zirconium dioxide]] (0.7 million tons), [[titanium dioxide]] (2.9 million tons), [[bauxite]] (2,068,000 tons), and tin (588,000 tons). In addition, there are twenty-three fields of alluvial placer gold in the region (nineteen of which were being developed and prospected in 2006) and seven residual soil gold fields suitable for open-cut mining in the southeast.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />

Novosibirsk Oblast has 5.527 million tons of high-quality [[anthracite]], as well as 2.720 million tons of long-flame and [[coking coal]]. Most of these are located in the Iskitim and Toguchin districts. The north part of the region also has [[peat]] fields with estimated reserves of 7.6 billion tons.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />
Prospected mineral water reserves in the region amount to 6,948 cubic meters per day. The popular Karachinskaya mineral water originates from the region.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />

The oblast has 4,531,800 hectares or 45,318 square kilometres of forests, with 509.88 million cubic meters of timber reserves. Most of the region's forests consist of softwood. Softwood forests cover an area of 3,481,300 hectares or 34,813 square kilometres, while softwood timber is spread out over 387.96 million cubic meters. [[Coniferous forest]]s - located mostly near the Ob River and the Salair Ridge - cover an area of 1,011,900 hectares or 10,119 square kilometres with timber reserves of 121.39 million cubic meters. The economic potential of the forests is reduced by the fact that most of them are located in the north of the region, in areas that are difficult to access.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />

===Climate===
Novosibirsk Oblast has a [[continental climate]]. Average temperature is {{convert|-19|C}} in January and {{convert|+19|C}} in July. Annual precipitation is {{convert|300|–|500|mm|sp=us}}.<ref name="allregions_novosibirsk" />